


The special things I compile, each one there to make you smile

by TotallyRadioactive15



Series: #Ballum - Fluff [16]
Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance, Snuggling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:21:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27460360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TotallyRadioactive15/pseuds/TotallyRadioactive15
Summary: Taking inspiration from Stuart and his memory box, Ben stumbles on a box of his own
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Series: #Ballum - Fluff [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1602898
Comments: 3
Kudos: 35





	The special things I compile, each one there to make you smile

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Benjaminhighway on Tumblr for this idea!  
> I hope you like it!

Ben ran up the stairs as quickly as he could, his eyes full of tears for most of the way. Once inside their bedroom he finally let them fall as he flung himself onto the bed. 

He didn't know why he let them get to him, this happened every time the darkness of the Mitchell family swallowing up the light he had found in Callum, they would mock him, taunt him until he couldn't take it anymore and burst, and then all he could think of was running, getting out of the dark place he found himself in. 

Shuffling his body to the edge so he could lean over he felt around for the little stuffed zebra toy Callum had brought him on valentines day. it was small cute and fluffy with big blue eyes that reminded him of the older man. he pulled it out from its hiding place under the bed and bent over to pull it out the rest of the way.   
He noticed a cardboard box underneath it too that he hadn't noticed before. bringing up the zebra toy he used both of his hands to bring up the cardboard box placing it in front of him. 

He pushed his thumb into his mouth as he held onto the zebra tightly letting his tears fall freely as he breathed heavily he knew Callum would enter the flat soon, he hadn't been far behind him as it had kicked off again. 

Curiosity got the better of him as he placed the zebra down next to him and pulled out his thumb. he ran his fingers across the box. it was nothing special just a normal brown box, the brown tape across the top sliced open perhaps recently. 

Ben opened the sides to reveal what the box contained. On the top where photographs of him and Callum, not professional just mainly funny selfies of the two of them being stupid ad making funny faces, some where of them cuddled up together on the bed and sofa. He felt like crying even more.   
This was his family no those people from across the street who where only his family when they wanted something, he couldn't help but smile when he remembered them taking these photos. 

He was so lost in thought he hadn't realized Callum had stepped in the bedroom. Slightly out of breath from practically running after Ben. 

'Thank god your here... I was so worried' Callum said taking a deep breath 'are you okay?' 

'I'm sorry' Ben whispered looking at his man who was ow approaching the bed, sitting down on the edge and looking over to the box open in front of Ben 

'What you sorry for? you didn't do anything wrong!' Callum told him   
'I ran away, I shouldn't have done that but I didn't want them to see that it got to me, I didn't want them to see me cry' Ben whispered 

Callum shuffled his body over to Ben so he could run his fingers though his hair before using his thumbs to wipe up his tears   
'What have you got here?' Callum asked changing the subject nodding at the box in front of them 

'I found it under the bed when I was looking for Zebra... I'm sorry I opened it... well it was already opened but anyway I'm sorry I looked inside, I wont look anymore... not if you don't want me too' Ben mumbled 

'Shhh... its okay I forgot I moved it, the box was getting to big in the place it was originally... Its not a secret though, Its my memory box, I put everything inside it that makes me smile... Do you want to see?' Callum asked

Ben nodded before shuffling his body backwards so he could lean back into the pillows behind him Callum followed suit and let Ben cuddle into his side before pulling the box on to their laps. 

'I see you've found the pictures' Callum sad picking up the pictures and looking through them himself smiling at them.   
'We need to put some of these in frames, I can take one to work and we can put them around the flat make it feel more homely' Ben told him as they smiled at the pictures together.   
'As long as we can keep on in the box I'm happy' Callum told him pressing a kiss to the top of Ben's head.   
He then used his hand to pull out the next item. 

'That's a piece of wood babe... what's that in here for?' Ben asked taking the wood from Callums hand and turning it over.   
'Don't laugh... but that piece of wood its from a rather important bench in the park' Callum told him

'No way? how did you get that?' Ben asked gently running his fingers over the wood now feeling slightly different towards it now knowing is significance

'I was jogging through there about a mouth after and noticed that they where treating it, i watched them shaved bits of the top off before they applied the treatment, I ran past and asked them if i could have a bit... they looked at me like I was a nut job but handed over a piece of it' Callum told him taking the wood back feeling it in his hands and his mind drifted to the past. 

'Aww that's so sweet... I cant believe you kept it after all of this time' Ben told him looking up at the older man   
'Cant throw it can i... its part of our history our story where it all started' Callum told him smiling before putting the piece of wood into the pile with the photos. 

Ben was next to pull something out of the box. this was a smaller green box inside this box was a few receipts a beer mat and ticket stub. He pulled out the ticket stub first and turned it so he could read the writing on the top.

'The first show I took you too... you had been raving about Wicked for as long as I can remember and I hadn't seen it so you said that we'd go for our anniversary only I reckon you forgot about it by the time that rolled around' Callum said laughing  
'So for one of our date nights I brought tickets and surprised you... your face when you realized it was beautiful and the show was amazing! even if I did have to endure you singing all the way though it' Callum told him smiling 

'You love it when I sing!' Ben told him smiling putting the ticket back it the box.  
He took out the beer mat and flicked it over with his fingers   
'From the prince albert' Callum told him 

'No Callum you didn't …why would you want to remember that I was such a shit to you!' Ben told him   
'It was our first date... okay so it wasn't the greatest... but it was my first time in a gay bar being out and with a man.. It means something' Callum told him taking the mat from Ben and putting it back into the box 

'I'm sorry I spoiled that for you..' Ben told him looking up at the man and giving him a small smile   
'You didn't' Callum told him leaning down to give him a soft kiss on his forehead   
before taking the last thing out of the box

'A Receipt?' Ben asked   
'Yeah' Callum said giggling 'It was he receipt from the ingredients I brought to make you dinner that first time' He told him   
'Chicken pasta!' Ben cried out smiling and taking the paper from Callum's finger's reading it though before putting it back in the box and closing the lid. 

Callum pulled out the next item a small paper poppy slightly crumbled where it had been in the box but still intact.   
'Well I get that one... that ones to remember those you lost' Ben told matter of factly 

'Yes and no... obviously that's the reason I brought it, n fact i buy one every year but that's not the reason I kept this one. I was wearing it that day in the Vic,,,, when I became your boyfriend... I know it doesn't directly symbolize anything but it reminds be of the day' Callum told him

Ben took the little poppy from hi placing a kiss on the middle before putting it in the pile   
He pulled out the next item and automatically froze. He knew what this was... and wear it was from... how Callum had a piece of it he didn't know

'How?' Ben asked passing the piece of fabric to Callum, not wanting to told it any longer   
'At the hospital, they had to cut you out of it... I just couldn't let them bin it... not all of it' Callum told him bringing the fabric up to his face and pressing light kisses onto it. 

'Why?' Ben asked 

'I don't really know.... I just remember at the time thinking I'd only just realized how much I wanted you and you where slipping through my fingers, I thought I'd lost you when I'd only just found you... I wasn't aloud to stay at the hospital as I wasn't family and I tried calling but nothing... I was so scared of loosing you Baby' Callum whispered tightening his hold onto Ben with his other arm as Ben pulled himself up so he could press a deep kiss to Callum's lips.

'Love you' he whispered taking the fabric and putting it in the pile that was beginning to build up. 

There wasn't much left now, a birthday card from Ben from their first birthday they had been together for, a Christmas decoration Lexi had made him at school a matching one for that had been for ben sitting on their Christmas tree Ben had insisted they put up a month early. 

There was a small stuffed rabbit that Callum had replaced with the zebra, Ben had taken a liken to it when he first started staying at Callum's but the rabbit was old then and fallen to pieces as it used to be Callum comfort blanket. It turned into Bens and now the zebra had replaced it for them both. 

On of the last things in the box was a bottle of Callums favorite aftershave

'You've got a bottle of this under the sink babe...' Ben told him pulling of the lid so he could smell it. Breathing in deeply and sighing as the smell calmed him 

'That is why its here... It reminds me of all our cuddles, the smile that lights up your face every time you nuzzle into my neck makes me so happy' Callum told him taking the bottle and putting the lid back on 

Ben pulled out the last thing in the box. it was a small black box. 

'What's this?' Ben asked showing the box to Callum   
'Its nothing, don't worry about it' Callum told him taking the box from Ben's hands quickly   
'Come on.... it cant be that bad' Ben told him trying to grab the box back  
'Please' he said using his best puppy dog eyes 

'This hasn't got a memory yet... I was going to give it to you for our anniversary but I changed my mind' Callum told him slowly giving the box back to Ben 

He nodded as Ben gently opened the box. inside there was a beautiful matt copper band ring. it was about 5mm in thickness with flat edges. It was simple but prefect. Ben picked the ring up and held it in his hand feeling the weight of it. he held it up to the light seeing a little heart with an even smaller letter inside of it. P. 

'Callum' Ben whispered looking back to the older man 

'I've been thinking for a while that I wanted to get you a ring.. but I didn't want to replace Paul's ring... So I thought about getting you something from me but that you but something you could still use to remember Paul and this is what I decided on...' 

'I love it... its beautiful, and I want to wear it Callum. I want to wear your ring' Ben told him sliding the old silver ring from his finger and putting the new one onto it. He raised it up so to admire it showing it off to Callum and smiling 

He placed the old ring into the box kissing the top of it before closing the box and gently placing it back into the carboard box.

'its where it belongs now... in the box full of memories, some good some not so good but there us... your right everyone of these things are part of us our story' Ben told him moving the things back into the box and pushing it to one side before cuddling in close to Callum again

'Thank you for showing me, saving all these things...but now I think its time we made some new memories' Ben told him snuggling into Callum's hoodie, putting his thumb back into his mouth and finding the zebra placing it between the both of them as Callum held the younger man tightly in his arms, the soft copper of the ring lighting up the darkness around them.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos & Comments are appreciated  
> xxx


End file.
